RLB Crane Index Shows NZ Construction Activity Stabalises

26TH EDITION OF RLB CRANE INDEX®
NZ CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY STABILISES
SOUTH ISLAND LEADS LATEST CRANE INCREASES

Auckland, New Zealand – September 2026: According to the Q3 2026 RLB Crane Index® released today, construction activity across New Zealand’s major centres has shown a modest improvement, with crane numbers rising nationally.

However, that activity remains subdued overall, with the recovery uneven across cities and sectors.

Mr. Bradley Coley, Director, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), said, “The national RLB Crane Index® increased from 129 to 134 points in Q3 2026, while the number of long-term cranes across New Zealand’s seven major centres rose from 102 to 106.”

“The latest results point to tentative stabilisation rather than a broad-based recovery. Auckland continues to account for the majority of long-term cranes, while Queenstown and Christchurch are showing the strongest increases. Civic, hotel and residential activity has strengthened, while some major civil projects have moved through their construction cycles”

Today, looking at the seven key centres across New Zealand monitored by RLB. In the latest count, RLB recorded 106 long-term cranes across seven key centres: 58 cranes in Auckland, 16 cranes in Queenstown, 13 cranes in Christchurch, 7 cranes in Tauranga, 6 cranes in Wellington, 4 cranes in Dunedin and 2 cranes in Hamilton.

“While the national crane count has edged higher, the results continue to show a construction market operating at relatively low levels of activity,” Mr. Coley continued. “The increase is concentrated in a number of centres and sectors, rather than representing a widespread upswing.”

Residential activity strengthens

Residential construction was one of the strongest sectors of improvement over the past six months. The residential crane index increased from 132 to 145 points, with residential cranes rising from 29 to 32 nationally.

According to the RLB Crane Index®, residential cranes now account for 30% of all long-term cranes, up from 28% in Q1 2026. While this rose compared to Q1 2026, residential crane numbers remain substantially below the 77-crane peak recorded in Q3 2022.

The improvement is consistent with stronger dwelling consent activity across several regions. Auckland dwelling consents increased 20.3% in the year to July 2026, Canterbury increased 32.6%, Otago 21.2%, Waikato 14.9%, Bay of Plenty 18.7%, and Wellington 17.3%.

The non-residential market was broadly stable, with the non-residential crane index rising from 128 to 130 points and crane numbers increasing marginally from 73 to 74. The composition of activity changed more noticeably: civic cranes doubled from seven to 14, hotel cranes increased from four to seven, while civil cranes declined from 28 to 22.

Civil construction nevertheless remains the largest non-residential sector nationally, while the increase in civic projects points to continued activity in public and community-focused development.

South Island gains momentum while North Island activity diverges

Auckland remains the country’s epicentre of crane activity, with 58 long-term cranes, unchanged from Q1 and representing more than half of the national total. The city’s index remained at 176 points. Activity continues to be concentrated in infrastructure, with major transport projects accounting for a significant share of crane activity, alongside selective residential development.

Auckland’s building work put in place declined 1.7% to $12.5 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, although the rise in dwelling consents indicates a potential stronger forward pipeline. The city’s residential crane count remained at 17, while civic, education and data centre/industrial projects recorded modest increases.

Queenstown recorded the joint-largest increase in the country, with its crane count rising by five to 16 long-term cranes and its index increasing from 367 to 533 points. Residential construction dominates the local market, accounting for 12 of the 16 cranes, while hotel activity increased to three cranes.

Christchurch also added five cranes, taking its total to 13 and lifting its index from 26 to 42 points. The increase was driven principally by civic projects, with seven cranes operating across the Grace Vineyard Church, Canterbury Museum Redevelopment and Christchurch City Council Wall Cladding projects. Canterbury’s building work increased 4.4% to $5.3 billion in 2025-26, while dwelling consents rose strongly.

Dunedin increased to four cranes, with all four current cranes associated with the New Dunedin Hospital – Inpatients project. The South Island outside Canterbury recorded a 4.5% increase in building work to $3.8 billion during 2025-26, while Otago dwelling consents increased 21.2%.

In Wellington, crane numbers increased from four to six, lifting the city’s index from 44 to 67 points. Current activity is concentrated in commercial and public-sector projects, including the Wellington Ferry Terminal, Parliament Buildings, Museum and Biodiversity Centre. Despite the increase, Wellington’s total building work fell 9.4% to $2.4 billion in 2025-26.

By contrast, Tauranga experienced the largest decline, falling from 14 to seven long-term cranes and recording a drop in its index from 700 to 350 points. The removal of cranes from major civil projects, including the Tauranga Northern Link, accounted for much of the decline. Dwelling consents in the wider Bay of Plenty region nevertheless rose 18.7% over the year to July 2026.

Hamilton also recorded a decline, with cranes falling from four to two and its index dropping from 200 to 100 points. Current activity is split between education and data centre/industrial projects. Building work across Waikato fell 3.5% in 2025-26, although dwelling consents increased 14.9%.

Mr. Coley concluded, “Across New Zealand, the latest crane results suggest that construction activity is beginning to stabilise after a prolonged downturn, but the pattern remains highly uneven.”

“Total building work put in place nationally fell 3.1% to $28.3 billion in the 2025-26 financial year. “Stronger dwelling consents and the substantial infrastructure pipeline may support future activity, although funding and delivery certainty remain uneven.”

“We believe the recovery is likely to remain uneven across regions and sectors, with the South Island outlook more promising, while changes in interest rates remain an important factor for construction activity,” he said.

Overall, the latest RLB Crane Index® provides a picture of a market moving from contraction towards stabilisation, but with the pace and composition of construction activity varying significantly between New Zealand’s major centres.

For further comments, please contact:

Bradley Coley (Auckland)                                   

Director, Rider Levett Bucknall

Phone: +64 21 435 664
Email: bradley.coley@nz.rlb.com